Vehicles, such as high performance vehicles for example, often include spoilers that are mounted to the vehicle to improve aerodynamic performance. Spoilers can be attached to a back of the vehicle, such as on a decklid for example, or can be located on a rear window or roof. The use of a spoiler improves airflow over and around the vehicle, which in turn creates better grip or traction on the road. Vehicles that run at higher speeds can encounter control issues because, under certain speed conditions, the increased airflow can create lift.
With regard to engineering requirements for aerodynamics, decklid spoilers on high performance vehicles are typically inefficient or sub-optimal for lift versus drag ratio due to various factors. For example, decklid spoilers typically have reduced surface area upon which negative lift, i.e. downforce, can be generated. Further, these types of spoilers rely on inefficient high-pressure creation due to a wedge placed in the airstream. Thus for traditional spoilers, it is difficult to generate high amounts of downforce for an efficient amount of drag. Drag reduction is vital in order to meet fuel economy, acceleration, and maximum velocity targets.